1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a KVM switch. More particularly, the present invention relates to a KVM switch having a network hub for supporting the over-IP process.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid development in information technology, computers and their peripherals have become very popular. Typically, each computer is equipped with one set of user interface devices, may including a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor. However, this equipment wastes money and occupies too much space if one has several computers. Therefore, a keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switch is proposed to use at least one set of user interface devices to manage several computers and their peripherals. Using the KVM switch reduces hardware cost and decreases waste of space while simultaneously conquering the problem of compatibility between different interfaces.
Traditionally, the KVM switch connects multiple computers and multiple sets of user interface devices through many combined cables. In addition, due to network applications have become commonplace in recent years, every computer may be configured with a network interface card connected to a separated Ethernet hub through an Ethernet cable (e.g. a CAT5 cable). When the KVM switch is used along with a network hub, their cables, i.e. the combined KVM cables and Ethernet cables, are crowded together.
So many cables occupy much space and are not easy to put in order because the cables are different in shapes and lengths. Moreover, system administrators encounter difficulty in managing and checking the complicated cables, especially when changing, moving, maintaining or repairing the cables. In addition, costumers need to separately buy a network hub and a KVM switch to meet their sharing and networking requirements, which is very inconvenient and unnecessarily costly.